Brand Names in Novels: Yes or No?

Brand Names in Novels, Yes or No?

Last night I saw a twitter post from someone asking about brand names in novels. Should they be included or shouldn't they? The lady is an author or writing for an author (Penelope Marzec) and was asking other authors and book reviewers the question. Since I am an avid reader I consider myself good enough to be a book reviewer so I answered her question. 

"When I read a book, and I read a ton of them, it gives me a sense of what the time was that the book was written in. It sort of dates the book to me. If the book was written in the 80's for instance you're going to have Calvin Klein Jeans maybe as the brand name the kids are wearing. Instead of the story flowing, I pause and think, "Oh yeah, I remember that time of my life, when that was in style" or if it was before my time I think "I wonder what it was like to wear that stuff, or eat or have those things." Then the story goes on for me. (I'm a speed reader so I rarely stop and pause at anything)

So I think it really depends on what you want your audience to do with the specific area you want to put the brand name. Do you want to emphasize something specific, getting the audience to stop and pause, to think about something you've written around that area a little more?

I've read books that I think use brand names way too much in them. They just toss them in for no purpose it seems. I think things need a purpose."

That's just the way I feel about brand names in novels. I thought it was a very good answer. I haven't got a reply. I thought I'd put it in my post, though, because it's something that I think about sometimes. I follow many authors and several follow me. Maybe a few will stumble over my blog and read this. If anyone who reads this has a comment, please feel free to add it here. I'd love to see what others think about it.